In Love With Death
by Scarlet has Fantasy Issues
Summary: Sarah has rejected Jareth for the final time and he seeks the daughter of the King of the Realm of Death as a replacement. Will their love succeed or will a jealous person get in their way? JarethxOC : On hiatus until further notice.
1. Prologue

_A/N: Okay, so this was a random idea that was bugging me for almost a month and a half, so I decided to put it down on my computer. I hope you are interested in this…_

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**Prologue**

Jareth glanced at the deathly white trees that stood out against the black sky, reaching towards him with bony fingerlike branches as he walked towards an enormous castle. The wind moaned through the trees, conjuring up a foreboding feeling that few could conquer. No one traveled the road because no wise Fae traveled into the Realm of Death when it was night when the bizarre creatures of the night were out; ready to steal away any unprotected soul. But Jareth was not scared of them. He had a mission and nothing was going to keep him from it.

The large doors to the castle black with age opened when he raised a hand to the brass bat knocker. The flame in the skull torch leapt as a hunched over crone looked at him.

"The Princess has been expecting you," she croaked before moving aside to let him enter.

Jareth stepped into the castle, hearing the door bang as it shut behind him. The crone hobbled down the hall, leading the way through the castle of pure bone. Jareth ignored her incessant muttering as he walked through the castle, thinking of what he was going to say to the daughter of the King of Death, who held so much power over the lives of Fae and humans alike.

"Mistress," the crone croaked, pushing open a door that led to the throne room. "The Goblin King has arrived…"

"Let him in Olga," a woman's voice came from within the throne room. "And close the door behind him. I don't need any eavesdroppers around."

The crone, Olga, bowed her head and let Jareth enter the room. Sitting on the throne made of bones of an ancient beast was the daughter of the King. She had one leg draped over the side of the throne while the other was up in the air as she pulled a fish net stocking up to her knee. She glanced at him with dark brown eyes and smirked when he didn't jump as the door closed.

"What can I help you with Goblin King?" she asked, twirling her foot around for a moment before slipping her black boot on and letting her leg fall over the arm of the throne. "And please don't say that you want me to convince my father to spare a number of lives in your castle during the next plague because I can't do that. He can't control how many people die from sickness, the King of Pestilence can. Dad just does the death part."

"I have not come to ask for you to spare anyone," Jareth stated, watching her straighten the short black skirt she wore. "I've come to ask if you would like to participate in a little bet."  
A black eyebrow arched up and vanished behind black soft curls that were the girl's hair. "A bet? What kind of bet are we talking about Jareth?"

"There is a girl I am interested in at the moment. She is human and currently resides in England," Jareth informed the girl.

"Nice place," the girl said. "But what has that to do with the bet?"

Jareth smirked. "The girl in question is thirteen at the moment, but still very lovely and full of many wondrous dreams. I plan to alert her of my interest when she is fifteen. Here is where the bet is: if I can not convince her to become mine from the moment she is fifteen to the same year she turns twenty-one, then I will come to you and let you become the Queen of the Goblin City with the same power as I possess there after you run the Labyrinth."  
The girl tapped her chin, thinking. "It sounds like a simple enough bet. You could get the girl within the six years or you could be denied each time and end up giving me the same power over your realm. With odds like that, I am interested."

"So, do we have a bet Desdemona?" Jareth demanded, staring at the raven haired girl.

"Yes Jareth, we have a bet," Desdemona agreed with a smirk to match his. "You have from the night that the girl you desire turns fifteen to the end of her twenty-first year to get her to say 'yes' to your proposal. Not a moment sooner and not a moment later." She waved a careless hand. "Now go. You have much to plan for and a long way back to the Goblin City. I have to go to bed soon so I can get up again in the morning and prepare the souls of humans for their end."

Jareth bowed his blonde head and turned to leave.

"And Jareth," Desdemona called after his retreating back. "Be gentle with the poor girl. She had her mother taken away from her by the sad thing humans call 'divorce' and is not used to having boys treat her like she is something precious. In time, she could become a great lover, but that is up to her to decide and it is up to her whether or not she agrees to become yours."

The door creaked open and Jareth glanced over his shoulder, but the girl was already gone. This was one bet that he wouldn't mind losing if he absolutely had no choice.

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_A/N: Okay, so there's a bet in place and if people review me, I'll get the first real chapter up. I have some character names to come up with so that may take a little while. (Any suggestions for the King of Death's name would be greatly appreciated.) Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: Okay, so I have a tiny idea of where I'm going to go with this story and who is going to be the bad guy…You'll have to deal with me and my insanity for a little while to fully grasp what's happening._

_Also, this chapter is a little rushed, but that's how it came out and that's probably how it's going to stay for awhile. Other than that, enjoy._

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**Chapter One**

A white barn owl's feathers ruffled in the breeze as he sat perched upon a branch outside a window. If he was human, a scowl would have been evident on his face as he stared into the room past the window. There was a party going on in there with celebrating adults barely out of their teenage years, happy to have made it through another week of college. _She_ was in there, celebrating with them. _She _was probably celebrating the fact that she wasn't tied down to a single man yet. _She_ wasn't tied down to someone who expected her to be his everything or simply love him for his absolute devotion. And she most certainly wasn't going to be tied down with him anytime soon.

The upset alarm clock on the floor turned to 12:00 A.M. and he knew with a thud that he had lost the bet he had made over six years ago. He had lost after days without sleep, excessive use of magic, and complete and utter devotion to one girl in over a billion. He had offered her the best of her dreams over and over again and the answer had always been the same.

_Get it through your thick head that it would never work between us…Move on with your life and find someone better suited for life in the Underground because it's never going to be me… I don't want you Jareth… _

She had said those very same words an hour earlier with her hands on her hips and a weary look on her face. Her eyes – once so beautiful and alive – were cold towards him and burned through his soul.

The owl hooted sorrowfully at the memory and turned his back on the party, sickened by the mere sight of it. He spread his wings and soared off into the night, ready for a night of pure pain and depression.

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The Goblins were silent as they watched Jareth sit on his throne and remained silent due to the increasing amount of emotion that was radiating from him. It was taking all of Jareth's strength to keep from exploding into tears and mad laughter. His body trembled from the effort and he pressed a hand to his mouth, propping his elbow on his leg which he threw over the arm of his throne. His cane appeared in his free hand and tapped a steady rhythm on the side of his boot.

How could she have done this to him? How could she turn aside promised dreams and eternal happiness like it mattered not to her? He had thought he had found the one girl in the world who shared dreams of a better life, of a better world, and who possessed a pure dreamer's heart. But he had forgotten that the heart of a pure dreamer could be tainted with age and influences from those who lacked it. Sarah had obviously been influenced a great deal in such a short time period.

"Sire?" a Changeling asked, bearing a tray with some fresh tea and biscuits.

Jareth waved a dismissive hand, not meeting the Changeling's gaze. She curtsied and trotted out of the room without a second look back. Normally she would have been bothered by the Goblins, asking for the tea that their king had not drank, but the Goblins were silent as they watched their king on his throne. The silence bothered him since he was used to the Goblins and their incessant racket.

"Talk amongst yourselves," he ordered through his hand. "Or I'll throw you all out the window."

The Goblins became animated quickly. Oddly, this did not make Jareth feel any better. He could still hear Sarah's words echoing through his head over the noise coming from the little creatures all around him.

_Oh Desdemona's father must love this_, Jareth thought with a frown. _He must love knowing the pain my heart is in, the pain my mind is in all because I was enchanted by a human girl…_

He knew that Desdemona probably wouldn't love hearing the news that he had lost their little bet. From what he knew of her, she was a free spirit who cherished her freedom in the world and loved to party. Being forced to push all of that aside to run the Labyrinth and become Queen of the Goblin City at his side would dampen her mood, but he knew that she would find some way to make herself happy with the situation.

Now that he thought about it, being forced to be with the daughter of the King of Death didn't bug him as much as he thought it would after years of devotion towards Sarah Williams. He remembered thinking the same thing when he first proposed the bet to the raven haired Death daughter. She had always been different compared to the other woman who would have pursued him.

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_Jareth had a smirk fixed on his face as he mingled with the crowd at the High King's palace. Women were flocked around him, ranging from sixteen years of age to over three hundred years old and then some. Most were beautiful as most Fae women were, but none held his interest. They were drawn to his looks and magic, not to mention his title as ruler. They weren't interested on what was underneath all of it._

_He glanced over their heads, past the sulking men who would love to have as much attention towards them and saw two girls standing next to a column. It struck him as odd that they weren't near him, batting their eyelashes and smiling stupidly._

_He recognized them even though they were so far away. They were the young daughters of the King of the Realm of Death. Both were raven haired and bore pale skin. The youngest seemed comfortable in the dress of pale lavender that she wore, but the older seemed uncomfortable in the black dress she wore. Jareth had to admit that both were rather attractive, but one was too young to understand anything, being only twelve years old. The other was still young at the age of sixty-three compared to his 1,645 years, but had dealt with life and its quirks for long enough._

_The eldest – Desdemona if he was right in recalling – was obviously not very interested in him. She glanced at him and looked away with a frown. Whether it was from disappointment that so many people were surrounding him so she wouldn't get a chance at him or from simple dislike, Jareth was unsure. He felt almost drawn to her, but could not move far because of his fan group._

_The youngest, Thea, broke away from her sister and headed in his direction. She made use of her bony elbows and made a path through the flock of young women that closed up almost immediately behind her._

'_Could you use some assistance Goblin King?' she asked with a small smile._

'_What help can a child offer a king?' Jareth inquired, looking down at the little girl._

'_She can leave an opening for her big sister to go through,' a voice said._

_Jareth looked up and saw Desdemona standing there with a smirk on her face. The young women who had flocked about him were giving her a wide berth, afraid of her deadly touch. They didn't seem to remember that she had to wish to use the Death Touch or her skin was perfectly harmless to touch. But that was their own stupidity._

'_And what help do _you _offer?' Jareth asked her._

_Desdemona looked at the women surrounding Jareth and her sister. 'If you do not leave Jareth alone and go back to dancing with your original partners then I will be forced to reveal the exact times of your death and I feel the need to announce that some of them are coming up very soon.'_

_The women around them scampered off with worried looks on their faces. The faces of men lit up as their dance partners rejoined them in the dance as music started playing again. Jareth felt like breathing a sigh of relief, but held it in._

'_No need to thank me Goblin King,' Desdemona said with a smirk. 'Thank my sister because she was the one who thought it would be wise to get you out of the lion's den of hormones before you were devoured…If it was my choice, someone would have had a nasty accident.'_

_Jareth looked down at the little girl in front of him. She looked at him expectantly, her hands hooked behind her back._

'_Thank you Thea,' Jareth said._

'_You're welcome Goblin King.' Sylva smiled. 'I hope you have a nice time at this wonderful party…Goodbye.' _

_With that, the little girl wandered off into the crowd. Desdemona pulled at the fishnet gloves that she wore idly. Jareth smirked at her._

'_I suppose you are looking for a reward for your 'courageous' deed?' Jareth asked._

'_Hardly.' Desdemona looked at him calmly. 'And if you're expecting me to want to dance with you, you have another thing coming. I don't dance to this kind of music and don't plan to do so except when I really have to impress people.'_

'_Then perhaps a handshake?'_

_Desdemona looked at the hand that he offered without the barrier of soft leather for a moment. Jareth smirked. He was not afraid of her touch because he was well aware that his time had not drawn close to its end. She couldn't kill him yet and he doubted she would ever be able to._

'_Very well,' Desdemona muttered, shaking his hand._

_There was a shock that ran through Jareth's body and from the way that Desdemona jerked her hand back, he could tell that she had felt it too. The shock hadn't been unpleasant, but he didn't look forward to having it happen again. Apparently neither did Desdemona because she took a step back to put more distance between the two of them. _

'_Goodnight Goblin King,' Desdemona mumbled before vanishing in a swirl of black glitter._

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The girl disliked him with her entire being. Jareth knew that he wouldn't have to worry about feeling inclined to win over her affections because the girl would absolutely refuse to love him. He wasn't looking for anyone to replace Sarah yet. He was just looking to get Desdemona to claim her part of the bet, so he could have some form of distraction, even if it came from the daughter of Death.

A sudden earsplitting shriek came from outside the castle and Jareth's head snapped up. A decaying creature from the Realm of Death appeared in the window and scrambled over the wall, glaring at the Goblins with unseeing eyes. Jareth watched it as it crawled in his direction, reminded of a spider mixed with a squirrel as it scrambled across the rough stones of the wall.

It hissed again and jumped onto the back of his throne, glaring at him now. Jareth held a hand up and the creature stared at it, its tiny black claws flexing as it contemplated what Jareth wanted with it. Sensing that Jareth wasn't going to pull anything funny, the creature climbed onto the hand and allowed itself to be lowered so that Jareth could get to what was tied to its back.

It was a note on pure white paper written in the King of the Realm of Death's hand. Jareth considered that odd because he had expected Desdemona to have written about the whole arrangement and his failure. Perhaps she had simply forgotten about it in her full party life, but Jareth knew better than to hope for her father to forget something that would give his daughter more power.

_Jareth, I know that the time has come for the results of your bet with my daughter to be revealed. I expect you to be at my castle by tomorrow evening to report what has transpired – whether or not if you have won the human's favor – and possibly hear me gloat if circumstances are in my daughter's favor. ~Baltor_

The decaying little creature glanced between the note and Jareth trying to figure out what it was supposed to do now. Jareth read over the note again and sighed.

"You can go back to your master," he told the little creature. "I will be there tomorrow…"

The creature bowed its head and jumped from his hand onto the wall and scampered off, hissing at Goblins that threw things at it.

_Tomorrow, I venture once more into the Realm of Death_, Jareth thought, staring out the window at the night beyond it. _No man wanders there twice if he can help it…but those men are cowards…After all I've been through, I'd probably walk through Baltor's arch and greet my Goddess prematurely._

The clock struck thirteen and the magic of the bet hit him full on. Now he had completely lost the bet – both in Sarah's world and his own – and there would be no changing time to convince her again. He had lost.

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A girl with raven hair looked up as she felt the magic of a long forgotten agreement bring the memory of a little bet to the surface. She sighed and stepped away from the fallen bodies of a large number of humans who had killed themselves in a gunfight over some silly little turf war. She had touched them all, unseen of course, before they had opened fire on each other, ensuring that their souls would not stick around for too long in their bodies as the soft flesh was torn into by cold, unfeeling metal. They were all probably meeting their Maker at this very moment, but she couldn't be sure. She was too sick from her deeds to care.

Unsteadily, she picked her way past them, careful not to touch anything and hurried away as the sirens came to the place where the fight had taken place. She melted into the shadows as they passed and hurried on without them noticing.

_So, Jareth lost_, she thought with a frown on her face. _Great. That man is going to take away all of my fun…no more parties the way I like them. Balls, stupid balls are going to take my fun away…and who wants to rule a Labyrinth anyway? No one can navigate that damn thing because he was stupid enough to give control of it over to some Pathmaker. So, thanks to that little power giving up to Sarah when she said the magic words…Jareth has less power to share and that means I have less power over the Labyrinth and Sarah has more…that doesn't seem fair for the poor Goblin King after everything he's been through, but it's his fault._

The girl sighed and kicked a stray can out of the way. "This just isn't my year…"

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_A/N: So there's one chapter done and over with. Yes, the father of Desdemona is named Baltor thanks to some nice little person who suggested it to me for a week, over and over again. Any names you give me – boy or girl – for other characters may be used and some may even become you in my story, so think carefully of what you would like to be named if I so chose to put you in here. _

_I'm actually typing this story up at random intervals on my computer, so please don't lose interest in it if chapters aren't posted weekly. I have a lot of stories to work on and not enough time in the day or attention for that matter. But there will be updates if you REVIEW!!!_


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm sorry that this update comes a little late, but I recently got a new laptop and I can't access my Microsoft Office documents (or anything MO) and make changes or anything. So, I had to download Open Office and retype everything so I could make changes. Hopefully this is temporary because I really like Microsoft Office and would like to be able to type everything on it. So, if there are anymore delays in updating, I am sorry, but I'm still figuring Open Office out.**

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**Chapter Two**

Jareth entered the dimly lit halls of Baltor's castle and followed the crone, Olga, as he had all those years ago. The flames burning in the skull torches through menacing shadows along the walls that gleamed dimly in the flickering light. His footsteps echoed on the polished bone floors while the crone's footsteps were as silent as a cat's.

"Master," Olga said, pushing open one of the large doors to the throne room. "The Goblin King has arrived."

"Good," came a cold voice from within. "Jareth come where I can see you."

As she had the last time he had been there, Olga closed the door behind him the instant he was clear of it. On the largest throne where Desdemona had once temporarily filled the space, sat a dark haired man clad all in black. To the right sat an empty throne that would have held Desdemona and to the left sat a smaller throne that currently had the youngest daughter, Thea, perched on the edge. She was smiling as she watched Jareth approach. Out of the entire family, Thea seemed to be the only one who thought of him in a positive light.

"Baltor," Jareth said, bowing his head in respect for another king. "I have come as you requested."

"You are aware, Jareth, that the bet that you made with my eldest daughter eight years ago has drawn to a close, aren't you?" Baltor asked, staring down at Jareth with cold, black eyes. "The one concerning a certain human girl by the name of Sarah Williams, am I correct?"

Jareth inwardly flinched at the sound of the girl's name and nodded reluctantly. "You are."

A cruel smile turned up the ends of Baltor's pale lips. "So tell me. Who is the winner of that little bet of yours? You or my lovely daughter?"

Jareth knew that the King of Death already believed that the odds were in his favor despite the knowledge that humans were usually easily won over by Fae. If the outcome had been different, Jareth was sure that the man wouldn't have been too disappointed. There were plenty of other lonely kings out there to give his daughters away to. But the outcome had not been in Jareth's favor.

"Sarah Williams has now celebrated her twenty-second birthday," Jareth announced, locking his hands together behind his back. "And she remains the Champion of the Labyrinth, but is no more than that."

"She didn't accept your proposals?" Thea asked, looking surprised. "Is she stupid or something?"

Jareth wanted to both hit the girl and hug her for what she had just said. "She declined the offer a number of times. Most recently, yesterday evening."

"The last day of your bet," Baltor whispered with a smirk as he stood up slowly. "And you have lost while my dear Desdemona has gained so much because of one human girl's decision and your bet. Jareth, you were a fool to bet against my daughter, but that is something you must learn now that you have lost."

Jareth looked at the empty throne of bones that Desdemona was not present on. He couldn't feel her presence anywhere in the castle of pure bone. There were simply the servants, Thea, and the King of

Death himself.

"And where is your daughter?" he asked. "Should she not be the one gloating about her victory?"

Baltor suddenly looked uncomfortable. "My daughter...she is not here at the moment."

"She hasn't been here for awhile," Thea announced, playing with the folds of her black skirt. "You see, Jareth, my father was so tired of her not listening to him that he sent her to the Aboveground for a for a few years so that she'd be forced to do her job. She's not allowed coming back until she accepts her place as the daughter of Death and takes the souls of the humans destined to die."

"It is her responsibility!" Baltor snapped, glaring at his youngest daughter. "As _my _daughter, she must do her duty and ready the souls of humans for death! I do not care that she is repulsed by the idea, she will do her duty no matter how long I must keep her in the Aboveground surrounded by the people she must send to Hell!"

Thea winced under her father's anger and stood up. "But what of her bet with Jareth? Her punishment is not over yet, but the bet is done. How can she assume her place as Queen or co-ruler of the Goblin City if she can not return to the Underground because of your stupid punishment?"

"Let the girl stay up in the Aboveground until her punishment is over," Jareth suggested, watching the scene play out before him. "I can handle the Goblins until the time she can come back and run the Labyrinth to win the right to be co-ruler of my kingdom."

Baltor laughed a long, cold laugh that made the hairs on the back of Jareth's neck stand on end. "I will not fall for that Jareth! My daughter will be coming back from her punishment prematurely and she will run the Labyrinth to win the chance to become Queen over your subjects." He smirked and pointed a long, pale finger at the Goblin King. "And you will bring her to your castle yourself."

Jareth tilted his head to the side. "I will?"

"You will if you want to prove that you are ready to honor the bet you made with her," Baltor stated, turning his back on Jareth. "And I know that you come from an honorable family, so you will honor this if you do not want to have your father made aware of your dishonor..."

With that, the King of Death vanished in a swirl of black glitter. Thea made a disapproving sound and approached the silent Goblin King.

"Jareth are you sure that you are ready to have someone else compete for a place at your someone that you have loved for years must be very heartbreaking...Perhaps you should give yourself a break and wait out my sister's punishment. Maybe you'll be more prepared to have her around then instead of the human girl..."

Jareth shook his head. "And have my family hold me responsible for a blemish on their honor? I think not. And in regards to a broken heart, I know no such feeling. Sarah Williams is just one human in the world and will be just a faint memory in no time."

Thea studied the Goblin King for a moment in silence, searching for something in his hardened eyes. "You should remove the wall you have built up around your heart Jareth because someday soon you'll realize that there is someone close by who could love you in more profound ways than Sarah could dream. But if you keep the walls up, she could climb over them to prove the pure love that she has for you, even if it is a love that she doesn't fully understand at the moment as you do not yourself."

She blinked and suddenly looked uncertain about herself. "What did I just say?"

Jareth frowned and remembered that Thea had not been raised as just a dealer of death, but as a Seer thanks to her late mother. She was prone to moments where she was unaware of herself or what she said. This must be one of those times.

"You were saying where I could find Desdemona," Jareth said in answer to the girl's continued questioning stare.

"Oh. That's easy. She's in England..."

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Jareth entered a club that was almost completely dark except for the bright lights over the dance floor. The blaring music coming from the live band hurt his sensitive ears, but he wouldn't leave until he got what he came for. He didn't hold eye contact with any of the women who glanced his way for very long, deeming them unworthy of his attention like everyone other than Sarah had been to him as of late. Instead, he chose to walk around the dance floor towards the bar where he could sense a vaguely familiar magical presence.

A girl dressed in black sat on a stool near the end of the bar, sipping a purple drink out of a margarita glass. Her black hair tumbled about her shoulders in gentle waves and her deep brown eyes watched the dancing people with rapt attention. Jareth recognized her by the designs she had drawn at the corner of her eyes and the faint aura of power she was giving off.

"Desdemona," Jareth said, fearing that his voice may be lost under the sounds of the band.

Her gaze flitted towards him briefly and she frowned. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a kingdom to run and women to make swoon?"

"You know very well why I'm here," Jareth stated, leaning against the bar next to her. "Or have you completely lost touch with who you are?"

Desdemona laughed in the complete opposite way of her father. Hers was a happy, pure sound while her father's had been cold, evil, and dead. Jareth's hardened, broken heart lifted a little at the sound.

"Lost who I am? Hardly." She gestured around them at the people dressed in black moving on the dance floor. "This is who I am. A person who lives in the moment because sometimes that's all you've got. People in the Underground live in the past...I'm glad I'm not down there at the moment. It's absolutely no fun down there and everyone is trying to make my generation as boring as theirs. Hopefully things will be different with my sister's generation...

"And I guess I do know why you're here," she went on. "Sarah broke your heart again by saying 'no' to your proposals. She completely gave up on her childhood dreams, grew up to be a cold person, and wanted you out of her life for good. Kind of makes me wonder how her friends from your realm are going to get along with her not believing in you anymore." She shrugged. "Then again, I always thought the girl was a tease. I could have extended the bet out a little more and then maybe you would have figured that out, but it's too late for that now. Unfortunately."

Jareth smirked. "You could always make another bet with me."

"And make my father more infuriated with me than he is now? Normally, I'd say 'hell yes' but after what he's done recently, I don't think I'll be doing anything to piss him off anymore." Desdemona put her drink aside. "He's had his eyes on your throne since you made it almost perfectly clear that you're not happy that your father, the High King, declared you the King of the Goblins over a thousand years ago. I guess he figured that if he was going to have a daughter that he might as well spread his power throughout the realms, but of course you already knew this."

Jareth bowed his head in acknowledgment. He did know how power hungry the King of Death could be even if he had been blessed with the power to control the lives of every living creature in the world. The hunger for power would never be sated.

Desdemona glanced to her left as a man slouched forward in his seat. "Damn...this is going to be close..." she whispered, touching the man's shoulder.

Jareth felt a ripple of cold power move through the air. The color drained out of the man's skin and his body became as still as death. Desdemona's eyes closed and she would have fallen out of her seat if it hadn't been for Jareth's quick thinking. She fought to catch her breath like she had been running in a marathon and looked around them to make sure no one else had noticed.

"Why did this man have to die?" Jareth demanded once Desdemona extricated herself from his arms and straightened on her stool.

"He was poisoned," Desdemona explained, rifling through the man's pockets. "There was a brunette who ordered him a drink a little while ago and she slipped it in his drink when she was over here, chatting him up. She's somewhere at the end of the bar with a huge rock on her finger..."

Jareth glanced down the bar and noticed the said brunette smirking evilly as she collected her things and prepared to depart. Desdemona's movements caught his attention again and he was startled to find her looking at the contents of the dead man's wallet. She ignored him and pulled out the meager wad of bills that the man had, placing the wallet back in his pocket.

"Stealing form the dead...what happened to the honor that the Death family had?" Jareth inquired, watching Desdemona put the wad of cash in her own pocket. "What of the reverence towards the dead?"

"A girl's got to make a living Jareth," Desdemona muttered, returning to her drink. "My father was an idiot giving me so little money and expected me to make it through ten years of punishment in the Aboveground. Things don't come free or cheap up here for royalty that no one's ever heard of...and I still have two more years of this crap left. Lucky me."

Jareth smirked. "Your father sent me to collect you. Your punishment is up, my dear Desdemona."

"Oh really? The old bat finally got sensible, did he? That or he decided that he'd rather have his 'little girl' back like some overly sensitive parent..."

"Actually he wants me to bring you back to the Goblin City thanks to our little bet," Jareth informed the dark haired death dealer. "He wants you to run the Labyrinth as soon as possible, beat it, and become Queen of the Goblin City."

Desdemona frowned again and set her glass aside. "Well he can want me to do that all he wants. I don't have to run the Labyrinth until I feel like it or before my next birthday. I have plenty of time to worry about beating your stupid Labyrinth and gain equality with you or did you forget that part of the bet when I placed that on the contract?"

"I didn't."

"Then be happy about it. I'm not going to be there to replace Sarah for quite some time. Four months actually...And I'm not _ever_ going to be there to replace Sarah as a potential mate. Co-ruler is where I cut it off." She smirked. "I'm not looking to settle down yet. Give me another couple of centuries and then we'll talk if you're ever interested, which I hope you're not."

"Believe me, I am not interested in taking a daughter of Death as my mate," Jareth promised. "The women of your house tend to be black widows..."

"My mother wasn't, but you already knew that." Desdemona shook her head as if to clear away the memories and stood up. "If I'm going to be back in the Underground, I'm going to have to stop by my place and get my things, make arrangements for my roommates, and collect my dog."

"Your dog."

Desdemona smiled mischievously. "Don't worry. He won't bite you."

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**A/N: So, there is the first thing I have ever typed using Open Office. I hope you like this chapter because I don't know when I'll get the next chapter up. My muse has run away and I really need some inspiration for this story before I decide to blow the whole idea to Hell. Send me some reviews and some kind of energy – positive or negative – and I'll be happy.**

**Oh and I need a dog name for a dog that really isn't your normal type of dog...You'll see what I mean later.**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: My thanks goes out to **_**notwritten**_** for reviewing me and **_**hiyaninja**_** for reviewing AND giving me the name for Desdemona's dog. And my thanks goes out to everyone who continues to read and has either faved or put my story on alert or both. Keep up the good work my friends!**

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**Chapter Three**

Desdemona turned to Jareth as they came to a stop outside an apartment with the number 13 painted in peeling gold paint on the door and looked like she was suddenly unsure about herself. "Maybe you should wait outside..."she muttered.

"Why?" Jareth asked, cocking his head to one side. "Are you hiding something in there that your father wouldn't be proud of?"

Desdemona shrugged. "Actually it's more of _some people _that Baltor would rather me not be associated with up here."

Jareth smirked. "Your secret is safe with me, princess."

Desdemona rolled her eyes and pulled her key out of her pocket, shaking her head in disbelief. "I am _so _going to regret this." She unlocked the door and opened it just a crack before snapping it shut. "James! Get Iago away from the door!"

"Iago?" Jareth asked, suddenly aware that something was scratching at the door. "James?"

"All right, all right!" someone called from inside the apartment.

The scratching ceased but Jareth could hear something growling within the apartment. Desdemona opened the door again and moved out of the way. She looked at Jareth and motioned for him to enter, so he did and what he saw surprised him.

A man with pure black eyes and cropped black hair was holding a large animal back. The animal appeared to be a white dog_,_ but it was more bony than any dog Jareth had ever seen. It's cold red eyes glared at him as the 'dog' tried to jump at him. It seemed like the man holding the 'dog' wasn't really trying to hold it back even though he was gripping it by the collar as tightly as he could.

"Iago," Desdemona said sharply, snapping the door shut behind her. "Sit."  
A sudden change came over the 'dog' and it stopped growling. Iago sat down and stuck its black tongue out, panting with lungs Jareth didn't know the dog possessed. A bony tail wagged excitedly and the 'dog' made no move to get up again, but the man holding him still didn't release the collar.

"Iago," Desdemona's voice had suddenly become sweeter. "You be nice to the Goblin King. It's my job to give him hell, not yours." She smiled and held her arms open. "Come here..."

James released the 'dog' and Iago launched himself into Desdemona's arms. She laughed and petted his bony head like he was the prime example of a completely normal dog. James' attention now that it was no longer turned on Iago, turned to Jareth and his eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"He's no one important," Desdemona told him, giving Iago one last pat before straightening. "Just someone my father decided to get me involved with."

James looked disgusted. "Suitor?"  
"No," Jareth and Desdemona answered at the same time.

"Good. He smells rank," James complained, glaring at Jareth as he moved back into the living room. "And of power."

"And you smell like a vampire," Jareth shot back, crossing his arms.

Desdemona rolled her eyes as she elbowed past him. "Duh. He is a vampire. I live with a few vampires." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "That's why I don't think my dad would approve of where I live."

James plopped himself on a couch and continued to glare at Jareth while Desdemona wandered down the hall to her room, calling out to her roommates as she passed their room. Jareth heard their muttered replies and could tell that they were all males. That's when he became aware of the dog that was growling at him again.

Iago was glaring at him with his cold red eyes, flashing his razor sharp canines that dripped with saliva. It appeared that when his mistress was gone, the dog lost his nice act. Part of Jareth wondered if Desdemona knew of the act, but the other said that she was aware and simply didn't care. He trusted the instinct that said that Iago was a good actor and had tendencies to distrust anyone as long as his mistress wasn't around to tell him he was wrong.

"What did you say your name was?" James asked in his hard voice.

"I didn't say." Jareth turned his eyes away from the dog to look at the vampire again.

James' mouth twitched. "You look like the High King, so you must be one of his sons. Maybe one of his _bastard _sons..."

"My father has no bastard sons," Jareth said rather bitterly. "I am his eldest son."

"Ooh...we're in the presence of royalty!" a younger man said, entering the room. "Whatcha doing here Goblin King?"

"He's come to take Desdemona away," James explained, scowling.

"So that's why she's in her room packing her things by hand." The man looked at Jareth. "She hasn't used magic because she doesn't want her dad to find out where she lives or who with. Though I don't see why she'd be embarrassed to be living with three hot vampires."  
James rolled his eyes and reclined back on the blood red couch. "Dar, you are a moron."

"But I'm an attractive moron," Dar boasted. "You know the Aboveground women love me and my bite. Or they'd love my bite if they could remember that I bit them when I was done with them." He laughed a lighthearted laugh that rang through the apartment.

"Stop being conceited Dar!" someone shouted from another room in the apartment. "No one really likes you. It's all part of the mind control you use on them."

"Shut up Kane!" Dar commanded.

_How can Desdemona live with these people? _Jareth wondered to himself, watching the two men in the living room argue about mind control and if Dar was conceited or not. _Has she no sense? Or was this all a ploy to make her father angry enough to send her back to the Underground before her punishment was up?_

Desdemona's return to the room silenced the three men, one of whom had followed her out of the hall. He was a decent looking blonde with black tattooed designs all over his body including his face. She made no move to shrug off the arm that was around her shoulders which Jareth didn't understand.

"Boys, I'm leaving," Desdemona said, dropping her large duffel bag on the floor at her feet. "Dad rescinded my punishment because that one bet I may have vaguely mentioned at one point has drawn to a close and-" She smiled. "I won."

"Congratulations," Dar and Kane said.

"I don't see why you have to leave. There's nothing that says you have to go back with this guy," James commented, glaring darkly at Jareth. "You don't have to assume the role as Queen of his realm -"

"Actually I do if I want Baltor to keep his nose out of my personal life," Desdemona said, cutting across him. "If you want to keep him from looking into your personal lives too, then you would understand why I have to go. I know there are some things you'd all rather keep secret, so let's not push our luck here."

"I still don't think it's right," James grumbled, looking away.

"You don't have to," Kane stated, throwing a sharp look in James' direction. "Let her do what she wants and get over it. She's old enough to make her own decisions without your input." He looked disgusted. "You're almost as bad as Seth."  
"I am _nothing _like Seth!" James snapped.

Jareth cocked an eyebrow. "Who is Seth?"

Desdemona gave him a look that clearly said that he shouldn't go there before looking back at the vampires. "Before you all go crazy on me, I'm going to ask for a hug goodbye. Any takers?"

Dar bounced over and scooped her up in a hug, pulling her away from Kane's grip. "I'm gonna miss ya girly!"

Desdemona smiled and gave him a friendly squeeze. "I'm sure we'll run into each other eventually if you continue to be the way you are."

Dar blushed and backed off. James didn't look like he wanted to get off the couch, but a death glare from Kane obviously made him change his mind. He got up from his seat and walked over to Desdemona. She accepted his very brief hug with a smile and a whisper to take care of himself.

Kane pulled Desdemona in a hug that was too long to be a simple hug in Jareth's opinion. He could barely see Kane's lips moving as the vampire whispered something in Desdemona's ear. She nodded and with a final squeeze, Kane released her.

"I'll check in when I can," she said, giving them a two fingered salute as she kicked her bag into the air and caught it. "Jareth, Iago, let's go."

Iago woofed and trotted over to the door, wagging his tail like a happy dog that was eager to please his mistress. Desdemona shouldered her bag and opened the door for the dog and Jareth. With a last look back at the three vampires in the apartment, she left.

Jareth didn't speak to her until they were out of the apartment building. "Who is Seth?" he repeated his earlier question.

"Seth is bad news," Desdemona said, not looking at him. "He's a vampire with dark pixie blood in his veins. Baltor sent him with me when I first got punished and that was fine because I kind of liked him back then. Until I saw his true colors.

"Seth is a jerk who seduces unsuspecting women, uses dark circles, and takes away peoples' freedom. I have almost been caught in one of his dark circles and he showed no remorse for what he could have done. He wants people to be under his power and is not happy that so many people have so much more power than him..."

"And how did your father come to know this Seth well enough to send him here with you, but not well enough to know what the boy could do?" Jareth inquired, linking his hands together behind his back.

Desdemona shrugged. "He was born in the Realm of Death several hundred years ago to a pure vampire father and a vampire with pixie blood in her lineage. They died shortly afterward, killing each other and left Seth alone in the world. Maybe he preferred it that way because he didn't seek out help and he didn't do anything but study his magic and develop his powers. He made contact with Baltor a hundred years ago when Baltor was looking into the option of marrying me out to someone powerful."

"And this Seth had power?"

"Not the power that Baltor was interested in. Baltor wants someone with a realm to govern, not just vast magical powers." She glanced at him. "Why do you think he was so eager to get the papers drawn up when we made the bet?"

Jareth smirked. "I supposed he didn't expect you to be so reluctant to fulfill your part of the bet."

"If you would have talked to me back then, I would have given anything to get out of the clutches of Baltor. But now, I'd rather stay where I am wanted because let's face it. You don't want me in your realm so soon after you lost someone that you have loved for so many years and my presence isn't going to help you find yourself again. And I'm not going to try to mend your heart by replacing your love for Sarah with a new love. I'm just not that kind of girl." She smirked. "You are attractive but not my kind of attractive."

They followed Iago into an alley where the dog sniffed out any people that could have been hiding there. He shook his head as he walked back over to his mistress' side, putting his bony body between Jareth and his mistress with a cold stare in Jareth's direction. Jareth turned his nose up at the dog's stare, though it impressed him how the animal didn't seem to care that he could be easily destroyed by the Goblin King when his mistress needed protection.

Desdemona sighed and brushed her dark hair back away from her face. "Let's get this over with."

She reached down and grabbed Iago by his collar and offered her hand out to Jareth. Jareth silently took her hand in his leather clad one and they vanished from the Aboveground, leaving behind the world that bore Jareth's greatest desire and the cause of his heartache.

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Desdemona was silent as she followed Jareth through his castle's halls while Iago ran on ahead, sniffing everything and growling at the Goblins that got too close to him. Desdemona could feel the magic pulsing through the rough stone walls of the castle and feel the souls of every living creature in it. Some of the souls called out to her as they realized that their time was drawing to a close. She wasn't in charge of taking the souls of animals nor did she want to go through the castle and search out all the creatures that were not going to be alive for much longer. She would leave that business for her father and sister. They could have the headaches that came with passing souls into the next life.

The reason passing souls bothered her so much was due to the first person she had ever had to pass the soul of. She was still haunted by the memory even though it had happened over a hundred years ago. She'd never forget the look on the woman's face, the face that she had seen so many times before when it was full of life and happiness...

"This will be your room," Jareth said, stopping outside of a set of doors.

Desdemona glanced up at the decoration above the doors. "The queen's chambers?"

"Yes. If one day you become the co-ruler of this land, you will be considered Queen and you should have the chambers to match," Jareth explained. "Your father would take my soul prematurely if he were to find out that I placed you in another, less grand room."

Desdemona shook her head and opened the doors. The room was full of expensive furniture and was dark because the curtains were drawn on the windows and balcony doors. She dropped her bag on the foot of the fourposter bed and wandered over to the windows, opening. Sunlight poured through the windows and she shielded her eyes from the brightness, not used to so much sun.

The balcony overlooked the gardens which were beautiful in the light. Fairies flitted from one bush to the next, some dancing in the air, others lounging on flowers and leaves. It was a very magical scene that Desdemona knew she would enjoy looking at if she ever had the time.

"I have to admit this place is beautiful," Desdemona whispered, glancing over her shoulder at Jareth. "Except for the Goblins..."

Jareth was watching her with something in his eyes that Desdemona didn't recognize. At first she thought she had crossed some line, but it wasn't anger that was in his eyes. She just didn't know what it was and that bothered her.

"Do you always stare at your guests?" she asked.

That seemed to snap Jareth out of what spell he was under. "Feel free to roam the castle and the surrounding land, but do not roam into the Labyrinth without my permission. I can't have you try to beat it without the proper procedure."

"Trust me, I plan to stay as far away from your Labyrinth for as long as I possibly can," Desdemona muttered, shedding her black leather jacket, exposing the intricate design of the tattoo on her back. "I need to get reacquainted with the air of the Underground before I even think of going through the Labyrinth, otherwise I could have some serious complications...Or were you counting on that?"

"I am not your enemy here my dear," Jareth stated. "There are enemies within my kingdom, but I am not one. Beware the creatures of the night that stalk the streets and gardens at night for they are just as bad as your common enemies."

"Will do."

She turned and nudged Iago off the bed, still aware that the Goblin King was watching her. _I wonder what he is thinking about..._she thought to herself.

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Jareth watched Desdemona open up her bag and start pulling clothes out without really seeing her. She was here where Sarah would have been had the Champion of the Labyrinth decided to become his Queen. (At least, she would have stayed in the room temporarily until they were properly wed.) Desdemona's actions reminded him of what Sarah would have done had she accepted his proposal. She'd be the one unpacking her clothes and smiling that small smile.

But no.

Sarah had not accepted anything. She had given up on her fantasies for the common dreams of man which were easily achieved. In her place stood Death's eldest daughter with her skeleton-like dog. She was a dark beauty, possessing powers that kept her alive far past the normal Fae, putting her up there with the vampires. Sarah – had she accepted his hand and went through the change – would have had a lifespan as long as his and they would have died together. If he ever fell in love with Desdemona, he would be dead long before she was or he would kill himself to save himself the heartache.

Desdemona was a painful reminder of what could have been but would never be. He despised her for that, but there was something about her that made him want to touch her skin. It could be the suicidal part of him that was hoping she had forgotten to pull her Death Touch back inside or it could be from the simple memory of their first encounter when their hands had touched. That shock that coursed through him and burned him with its unexpected warmth. He didn't know which it was, he simply knew that he had to fight against that desire.

"Is there anything else I should know?" she asked, glancing at him. "Like what halls to avoid at what times? Or where I should or shouldn't take Iago?"  
The dog's ears perked up and his cold red eyes flickered in Jareth's direction. A soft growl escaped the dog's throat, warning Jareth to stay away.

"Iago!" Desdemona snapped. "Be nice!"

The growl stopped but the dog continued to glare at Jareth.

"Avoid the dungeon areas and avoid areas where the foulest stenches waft towards you in the lower halls," Jareth said, taking a step backwards.

"Is the throne room off limits?" Desdemona asked in an offhand way.

Jareth wanted to say yes, but that would have been a lie and he knew that she wouldn't fall for it. "No."

"Okay."

Jareth turned to leave and had only walked a few paces away when he heard Desdemona gasp and the sound of breaking glass. A wave of dark power washed over him as he hurried back into the room. Desdemona was ghost white and staring at the floor length mirror in front of her while Iago was standing in between her and the mirror, growling and steadily becoming larger in size.

Jareth's eyes turned to the mirror in search of Desdemona's sudden scared expression. A large crack gave way to smaller cracks in the once smooth silver glass. In the middle where Desdemona's face was reflected was a circle of intricate black designs.

_A dark circle_, Jareth realized, moving to stand beside Desdemona.

"What happened?" he demanded of the Daughter of Death. "How was this circle cast?"

Desdemona shook her head and turned her eyes away from the broken mirror. "I don't know. All I know is that when I turned to look at the mirror, _he _was standing there watching me. _He_ cast the circle and told me that I was always going to be watched so I wouldn't betray him..."

"Who?"

Desdemona's eyes looked haunted as she looked at the Goblin King. "You already know who."

"Seth..." Jareth whispered.

The glass on the mirror shattered completely at the sound of that name. Desdemona jumped back away from the glass that fell on the floor and the growling from the much larger Iago grew louder. When Jareth glanced down at a rather large shard of glass he thought he saw someone looking back up at him with dark eyes, but when he looked again, he saw only his reflection.

"Here we go again..." Desdemona sighed, sinking onto the foot of her new bed.

Iago whined and looked at her with sadness in his red eyes.

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**A/N: And so ends another chapter of this story. I'm working on some ideas for the plot and who the enemies are. You probably already figured out one of the possible enemies thanks to what the ever helpful Goblin King said. As long as the evil plot bunnies continue to dance in my head, there will be more chapters in the future, but at what time, I have no clue. Until then, please review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: My thanks goes out to the people that reviewed and those who put this story under their favorites list. You people make this story worth writing!**

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Desdemona glanced at Jareth as he continued to stand in her new room, watching her. He had asked her what she meant when she said 'here we go again' moments earlier. She shook her head and looked away from him, petting Iago's head as the dog shrunk back to his original size. She didn't want to go there again.

"Something is in my kingdom now," Jareth said, glaring at her. "Something evil, vile, and unwelcome. You know of its origins, maybe even what it wants. You know something about this and you will tell me or I will -"

"You'll what?" Desdemona asked, not meeting his eyes. "Tell Baltor that the deal is off and send me back to the Realm of Death while your family gets a blemish on its honor? Lock me away in an Oubliette until you need my help in getting rid of the new threat or simply leave me there for the rest of time? What are you going to do that will not hurt your family's honor and make your father look down on you more than he already does, oh powerful Goblin King?"

The last idea sounded good to him. He could lock her away for a certain amount of time and then see if the threat was eliminated. Or he could simply lock her away and forget about her so that there would be no one in the place of Sarah in his castle. That would make getting over her so much easier in his opinion.

"You will tell me," Jareth repeated, scowling at her. "All that you know about this..."

Desdemona sighed and got off the bed, flicking her wrist at the glass shards. The glass shards flew up in the air and replaced themselves back in their original form on the mirror backing. The dark circle was no longer there and for that, she was grateful.

"He's done this before," Desdemona finally said, looking at her reflection in the cold glass. "Seth has...He cast dark circles all the time when he knew he wouldn't get caught by me or catch me in one. But one night, I went to a club and I got the urge to just dance to the music like everyone else was. I just wanted to dance and keep moving, but when I did, I knew something was off. I saw him standing next to the DJ, watching the crowd move with his bottomless dark eyes and I knew that he had cast a dark circle and if I kept dancing, he'd have complete control over me and would slowly absorb my power."

"And what did you do?" Jareth asked.

"I did the only thing I could do," Desdemona whispered. "I broke the circle and ran up to him, demanding an answer for it. He couldn't give me an answer, but told me that he was sorry that I had almost been caught in his circle. That he didn't mean to and that he'd never do it intentionally because he loved me..."

She noticed Jareth's eyes darkened when she said those words, but she continued on with her story anyway.

"He did everything in his power to prove that he loved me, but I saw through it all and realized that he only wanted the rank of King of the people who had left him to fend for himself when he was a child. He may have loved me for my looks too, but I am not just a figure head and a pretty face. I'm something flesh and blood and he just couldn't love me for that, so I dumped him.

"I told him to get out of my apartment with the vampires that you met and when he refused to go, they made him leave. He haunted mirrors and the shadows for awhile before I thought to put up wards around the house. I thought he'd given up by now because I've seen him with another girl – a vampire – and he seemed happy with her. But I guess he's not ready to give up on me yet if he's still haunting mirrors..."

"He loved you and you turned him down?" Jareth asked in a hollow voice.

"Jareth, I know about the soul mate legend. And I'm a firm believer of it because I've seen it happen to some of my friends in the past and other people." Desdemona touched her hand. "I know that when you touch someone and you feel a powerful connection, a warmth that spreads through you to your very core, that you have found your soul mate and there will be no getting them out of your head. I've touched Seth plenty of times and I know there was no connection. There was simply lust and cold, dead power." She looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm still waiting for the person that completes my soul as you are waiting for your own soul mate. We both thought we found ours when we were younger, but mine turned out to be evil and yours broke your heart..."

Jareth turned away from her and walked a couple paces away. "I do not believe in soul mates anymore. It's a fantasy meant to make people happy with false promises of everlasting love. I have outgrown such thoughts."

"In this land of dreams...how could one turn away from such a perfect dream?" Desdemona asked quietly. She sighed and seemed to shake herself off that train of thought. "At least you know that Seth is an ever present danger...I haven't seen him escalate to physical violence, but stalking and leaving dark circles everywhere does not boast of a peaceful man."

"Perhaps you should tell Baltor of this," Jareth suggested.

Desdemona laughed. "Tell Baltor? The King of Death doesn't care what happens in other realms unless some other royal becomes available for marriage. What Seth does, my father cares little about. I've tried telling him about it and his answer was for me to claim Seth's soul early and send him to meet his Goddess prematurely." She gave a wry smile. "The thought was tempting after he almost caught me in a dark circle a second time, but my Goddess didn't give me my power to use against the people that scare me with cheap parlor tricks."

Iago barked and jumped up on her, placing his pals on her shoulders. Desdemona stood there, letting him look into her eyes for a moment before petting his head and pushing him off.

The words that summoned the Goblins to claim a child echoed through the castle in a whispered voice. Jareth felt the magic of the words pull on him, alerting him that it was time for him to make his appearance in the wisher's room.

"I must go," Jareth said, backing out of the room, slowly fading out of existence as he did. "And remember, do not venture into the Labyrinth."

Desdemona watched him vanish completely before looking back at her mirror. Seth's eyes looked back at her for a moment and then he vanished with a smirk. Iago growled at the mirror and sat right in front of it, glaring at his reflection like he could still see Seth looking back at his mistress.

"And in the land of dreams...nightmares run free," Desdemona whispered, turning her back on the mirror.

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Jareth frowned as he watched the girl who had wished away her baby sister run through the Labyrinth. She looked confused as she made turn after turn in the maze and never seemed to get any closer to her destination. Hardly anyone ever made it to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth, but then again, hardly anyone wished away their siblings anymore. The legend of the magic words was starting to fade as people grew up and threw away their childhood dreams for the tainted dreams so easily achieved in the mortal world. They weren't interested in the old books anymore, but wanted books of teenage vampire romances that were so far from the truth that it made Jareth's stomach turn at the thought of it.

_There will never be another true Champion of the Labyrinth_, Jareth thought bitterly, watching the girl fall into an Oubliette and meet Hoggle.

Jareth despised that Dwarf like he despised the other two creatures who had helped Sarah defeat his Labyrinth all those years ago. He despised them not only for that moment of treachery but also for their continued closeness to Sarah. True, she called upon them less and less these days, but they were still in contact with her more than he ever was. As Sarah put it so long ago, _that was not fair_. It was not fair to him and most certainly not to his subjects who were suffering under his hand when he came back in a foul mood.

The Goblins around him suddenly became deathly quiet, drawing Jareth's attention away from the crystal. Desdemona was standing in the depression in the middle of the throne room, holding the baby that had been wished away. She rocked the baby and the baby looked up at her with eyes full of natural wonder. The baby reached a hand up and touched Desdemona's face, bringing a soft smile to the daughter of Death's face.

"Shouldn't you still be unpacking your clothes?" Jareth asked, knowing very well that girls could manage to put a vast amount of clothing in a small space.

"No. I don't have many clothes, so I was finished unpacking rather quickly." Desdemona's gaze barely flickered in his direction as she gazed upon the baby. "I thought I'd take my own personal tour of the place and then I got distracted by this little girl. She is so full of new life..."

Desdemona's voice trailed off as she continued to gaze upon the baby. Jareth had never seen another Fae look upon a human baby with such affection. Normal Fae would have just chosen a human baby and had it go through the Change before looking upon it with such affection. Humans were barbaric and uncivilized as most Fae thought, but Jareth was attracted to how open their minds were and their beautiful dreams that, in some, never died. How could Desdemona be so enchanted by a human child?

"She is a baby," a Goblin whispered as if afraid to raise his voice in her presence.

Desdemona glanced at the little Goblin, who quickly hid a mug of ale behind his back. "Yes...She is a baby and she has the untainted dreams of one...Her life has just begun to unfold and I can tell that she will have a long, long life..." Her eyes saddened. "Others are not so lucky."

The Goblins shuddered as if affected by her words of a short life for others. Jareth watched her carefully put the baby down and climb out of the pit.

"Don't get upset Goblins," Desdemona said quietly as she walked from the room. "I am not going to release any of your souls into the arms of our Goddess now. You have long lives ahead of you...and it is not my job to take the souls of Goblins. Only humans..."

Jareth tossed aside the crystal in his hands and got to his feet just as Desdemona left the room. Before he could stop himself, he was following her out of the room.

"Why do you sound so upset about ending the lives of humans?" Jareth inquired when she glanced over her shoulder at him. "They are...beneath Fae."

Desdemona shook her head and continued walking. "I had thought that you would have a better opinion of humans since you work so closely with them, but..." She turned abruptly, nearly causing him to run into her. "Do you honestly believe that I like to end the lives of humans? Of anyone for that matter?"

Jareth looked into her dark eyes and saw a sadness there that he hadn't seen before. He didn't answer her.

"I don't. I don't enjoy making people lose what they have barely experienced. Do you know how many children I've had to perform the Death Touch on? Thousands and I'm only two hundred years old! I remember every single one of them! They didn't get to experience all that they could in their short lives. None of the humans ever do. Not like Fae." Desdemona's body trembled and she looked up at the heavens. "And still their spirits call to me, seeking release to a place where they will be welcomed by their Goddess or God...every moment of every day they call and I have to live with this for the rest of my life."

"I thought -"

"You thought my entire family was like Baltor and his parents, didn't you?" Desdemona glared at him. "Thea and I are far from being as in love with Death as he is. He gladly releases the souls of millions of creatures a day, all without a single regret. All he feels in the end is a mere headache and even that barely sticks around with him. Thea, she throws up each time she performs the Death Touch and I, well, you've seen what happens to me."

"You get weak in the knees."

Desdemona nodded. "And I feel guilt. Every time I take away the life of a human, I think of their relatives, their children, that they are leaving behind. Some are lucky not to have affected anyone's life, but most aren't. And I feel it with each person I kill..."

Desdemona looked away but Jareth saw the glimmer of tears rolling down her cheeks. She shook her head and her hair fell in her face, hiding it from view.

"Jareth, you don't hate humans. All these years you've had to work with them, you've fallen in love with their capability to dream such fantastic dreams the likes of which no Fae could comprehend. Dreams come true here and you give the people who come here faith in their dreams. Don't give up on that."

Jareth heard a beeping sound and his eyes landed on Desdemona's thigh. There was a bump there under the pocket and when she pulled out a cell phone, its presence was explained.

The daughter of Death pressed the phone against her ear and listened patiently to the person speaking. "I think I can sneak out and take care of that," Desdemona said after a moment. "It's not like he's going to stop me from going to that club. See you in ten."

She hung up and looked at him, all traces of sadness gone. "I'm going back to the Aboveground. Dar decided to throw me a going away party at a club."

"And if I say you can't go?"

"I'll go anyway. Nowhere in the contract did it say that you would have the right to tell me what to do. All you can tell me to do is not to go through the Labyrinth without your permission." She straightened to her full height. "So I'm going and you're not going to stop me in anyway, shape or form. Understand?"

"You can't tell me what to do either, little Death daughter."

"Good. We're at an agreement then." She turned and vanished in a swirl of black glitter. "See you in a few hours."

Jareth was tempted to spy on her, but he had a job to do. With a flick of the wrist, he conjured another crystal and stared into the depths to see the progress the wisher had made. Just as he was supposed to Hoggle was leading the girl back to the beginning of the Labyrinth. There a blur of motion and then the girl was running away from the Dwarf in the opposite direction.

_Well, this girl is full of surprises, _Jareth thought dully.

XXXXXXXXXX

Desdemona laughed as she exited the club that Dar and the others had thrown her a party in. She had no idea where they had gotten the money to throw such a party and she knew from experience that it was better for her not to. The fact was they had gotten it and they had used most of it to make sure she had a good time.

"I'll see you boys later!" she called over her shoulder as she walked away. "I've got to get back to the Underground!"

"Don't let the Goblins get ya!" Dar called back before erupting into laughter with his newest red haired victim.

Desdemona shook her head and nearly ran into a brunette. "Oh! Sorry."

"It was my fault..." the brunette muttered, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry."

There was something vaguely familiar about the girl that Desdemona couldn't quite grasp as she watched the girl walk away. She cocked her head to one side as she sensed the magic coming from the girl. It was as ageless as the Labyrinth was and almost as powerful as Jareth's.

_Sarah..._

Desdemona watched the girl that broke Jareth's heart walk down the street towards the club that she had just left. The Champion of the Labyrinth joined some of her friends and laughed gayly at something they said.

_So that is the one that Jareth was head over heels in love with? _Desdemona smiled a small smile. _She is beautiful...but I don't like the look in her eyes. They're no longer a window into the mind of a dreamer, but of an adult whose dreams they have given up on...Dead eyes. Like my father's._

She suppressed a shudder and turned her back on the lost Champion. The world seemed colder the farther she walked away from the club and darker. Desdemona had grown up in the land where night ruled, but there was only so much darkness that she could take.

_I wish I had brought Iago with me_, she thought, rubbing her arm as she looked around. _My big, skele-dog would have protected me from whatever the heck is stupid enough to mess with me...And I haven't fought with magic in years...Great._

She turned and glanced over her shoulder again. The club with its bright lights and positive atmosphere seemed so far away now. Too far away for her taste. Then she felt eyes on her and felt a familiar feeling of dread sink into her stomach.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, focusing on breathing. "I thought you had moved to the United States where there is a surplus of freaks."

"Actually I thought I'd stay here and admire the view," the person she hated more than her father commented. "I haven't seen you in awhile Desdemona..." He chuckled darkly. "At least, not in person."

A shudder went up the daughter of Death's spine as she turned slowly to look at the person she hated. There was the dark unkempt hair that at one point in her life she like to run her fingers through. There were the same bottomless black eyes that dragged people into them until they lost themselves. There was that cocky smile that once attracted her but now infuriated her. And that pale skin that all vampires seemed to possess...It drove her crazy to think about how she had fallen for those deceivingly good looks and had nearly lost herself to their owner and how other women were so easily snared by them.

"Seth," Desdemona began. "You tried to catch me in another dark circle..."

"Oh did I?" Seth's dark eyes gleamed evilly. "How rude of me."

Desdemona crossed her arms, trying to look like she was tough when she was really hugging herself to fight the cold that came every time she encountered Seth. "Yes it was."

"The thing is Desdemona, I didn't really cast a dark circle," Seth stated, moving closer. "If I had, you would still be dancing to music that came from absolutely nowhere and I would be dancing right along with you. Just like old times."

Desdemona instinctively took a step back as she heard the faint sounds of a deep driving beat float through the air. "Stop living in the past Seth. We are never going to get back together. You've run out of second chances and destroyed all hope of it. And you're not my soul mate. I can't get past that."

"You still believe in that load of bull?" He laughed. "That kind of thinking is old fashioned and I thought you were beyond that. I thought you liked what was hip and new. None of that outdated crap that our parents teach."

"Soul mates are a part a timeless legend. I've seen it in action and I know that there is someone for everyone out there. You -"

"I've found the girl that I want to be with already and I don't care if I didn't feel anything that stupid soul mate legend says I'll feel. I know she's the one."

Desdemona was taken aback. "Really? You found someone?"

"Yeah and you'll never guess who it is."

Desdemona felt the dread rise up inside her again, telling her something was wrong. Magic flowed through her body at an unspoken command, collecting in her hands. Seth drew close enough to whisper something in her ear.

"You."

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**A/N: And now I'm using my power as the author to cut it off right there. I hope you'll review even if you don't like this story very much. I'd like to hear about what I could do to make it better. Give me feedback, please. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the review(s)! On with the story!**

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Jareth looked up from his breakfast when he felt someone powerful enter the banquet hall. He did a double take as his eyes roamed over Desdemona's unkempt features. Her hair was a mess, her make up was smeared, there were tears in her clothes, and Jareth could see the beginnings of bruises appear on her body. She looked like she had been through a war zone and had been sorely beaten.

"Do I even want to know what happened to you?" he asked, returning to his meal.

"I'll sum it up in three words for you," Desdemona said in a dull voice as she sank down in the seat on his left side. "I met Seth."

"Oh, did you?" He glanced her over again. "It looks like he won."

"He never wins," Desdemona grumbled, reaching for some fruit. "I don't care how bad I look, he will always be ten times worse...And I came this close, _this close _to performing the Death Touch on him. If I had he would be his Maker's problem. Not mine. Or yours."  
Jareth didn't like how he was mentioned almost like he was an afterthought. It didn't seem right for him to be treated with so little respect from a fellow royal and a princess at that. Had he been any other king, he would have voiced his complaint, but he was Jareth, a man of little words at times.

Desdemona ripped a pomegranate in two and started eating the juicy seeds. "His plans have changed," she announced to Jareth.

"Oh, have they?"

"They have. He's gone from saying that he wants revenge on me to saying that he's going to have me for his own. According to him, nothing will stop him from getting what he wants and no one will get in his way or put him down for good." She looked at her hand with a frown. "I really need to work on magic again. This encounter with him was all just instinctive magic, but next time I'll need more than that."

Jareth watched her have a mental talk with herself. Part of him wondered why some fool hadn't already snapped her up in a romantic fairytale of her own. Was she really looking for her soul mate and why hadn't she already found him? If it was taking her this long, why hadn't she given up already and accepted the first decent looking man who asked for her hand in marriage?

_No one wants to be wed to the King of Death's daughter_, Jareth realized with a smug little smile. _They're afraid of their untimely end at her hands and the creatures that she befriends. And who in their right mind would want to deal with the issues that come with the duty of Soul Reaping? _

"Stop smirking," Desdemona ordered, glaring at him. "You may think that what's happening is all fun and games right now, that it's hilarious, but one day soon you're going to regret making the bet with me because the day I go into the Labyrinth and beat it, is the day my problems become yours."

"Then I suggest you don't go into the Labyrinth for as long as you possibly can," Jareth said, sipping a glass of wine. "I have enough problems of my own without yours."

"Speaking of _your _problems," Desdemona said, obviously ready to move past the subject of her problems. "I ran into someone last night. Maybe you're familiar with her..."

"I highly doubt it."

"Oh really. I thought you'd recognize the Champion of the Labyrinth when she is mentioned."

Jareth felt like he had been punched in the gut. "You saw Sarah?"

"I did. She ran into me when I was leaving the club...She was meeting some friends and then she disappeared inside." She frowned. "She doesn't seem as pretty as she did when I saw her when you made your love known to her."

Jareth held his tongue, wondering what she meant silently.

"She lost her youthful dreams and the dreamer's beauty as well. Her future was bright and so were her eyes and her hair. Now looking at her after all these years where things have turned out okay for her with her acting career, she doesn't have anything that she once had. There's just the shadow of what could have been but will never be." Desdemona lowered her eyes back to her fruit. "Though I suppose there are always miracles and time. There's nothing but time..."

She trailed off and popped some more seeds into her mouth, chewing with a thoughtful, but sad expression. Jareth watched her wondering if she was going to say more, but she didn't.

He had always thought Sarah as one of the most beautiful humans in the known world. Even after she had turned him down and grown up into the woman that she was today, he still thought she was beautiful.

_Maybe my opinion of her changed the way that she looked to my eyes only,_ Jareth thought, setting down his fork. _Maybe she really is like every other human that has given up their youthful fantasies and changed into something that no one would recognize if they saw her again. Maybe she isn't my Sarah anymore..._

His heart clenched painfully as he looked back at Desdemona. She looked like she was in pain herself, but not as badly as he was. His was from within his broken heart while hers was simply the pain that came with the magic that had not been used in years. Hers would fade shortly while his would be there for a very long time.

_It's not fair_.

"Jareth...I'm sorry that I brought up the topic of Sarah," Desdemona muttered. "But I thought you needed to know that she is not the girl that you fell in love with."

"I have known that for some time now," Jareth lied, getting to his feet. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go attend to some paperwork."

He walked away from his half eaten breakfast and towards the doors. He felt Desdemona's stare on his back, but chose to ignore it. She was nothing to him but a nuisance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Desdemona showered and changed into a shirt that had the appearance of a corset but wasn't nearly as tight and a black mini skirt with black tights. It felt good to be rid of the feeling of Seth's touch and magic on her person. And the heat of the shower had helped alleviate the pain that came from the unaccustomed use of offensive magic which was a bonus in her eyes.

She didn't feel like spending all of her time in a castle where the King hated her guts and was avoiding her and with Goblins that feared her shadow. She thought it would be best to go outside the castle into the city to see what it was like down there. Maybe there was something wrong with it that Sarah had disliked so much that she had made her decision strictly on her dislike.

_Or maybe she's just a ungrateful brat_, Desdemona thought bitterly, walking down the front steps of the castle.

Goblins of all shapes and sizes were bustling around the filthy streets, selling and buying objects they needed or wanted. Some saw her and immediately ran away in fear or pressed themselves against the walls of the rickety buildings to avoid her touch. Others simply ignored her since she just appeared to be looking.

_I wish everyone would stop being afraid of me, _Desdemona thought, rubbing her arm as she walked amongst the Goblins. _I'm not going to kill them all...I can hardly kill any of them because it's not my place to...I just pass on their souls and I don't even reap the souls of Goblins. Only humans..._

She sighed and continued walking through the city. The sound of hammers and grunts came from ahead and Desdemona followed the sounds. What she saw astonished her.

Part of the Goblin City was in ruins. There were places where the buildings lay in ruins and there were piles of rocks surrounding the skeletons of small shacks. Goblins were working on clearing away the rubble and small boulders and others were working on taking down the skeletons of houses so they could rebuild them.

"What happened here?" she asked one Goblin who was walking by with a small chunk of a boulder in his paws.

He looked up at her with his one good eye and sighed. "The Goblin City fell apart many years ago when the Champion of the Labyrinth turned down the King and took some of his power as her own...This is the last section that we have to rebuild..."

Desdemona looked back at the ruins. "Sarah did this?"  
"Aye...That no good wench ruined us and left our homes in ruins." He peered up at her. "You think you could get rid of her for us?"

"You mean perform the Death Touch on her?"

"It doesn't matter how you do it. Just get rid of her." The Goblin grunted and began to lose his grip on the boulder. "Oh damn!"

Desdemona leaped forward and caught the chunk of rock before it could fall onto the Goblin's foot. She held it awkwardly, wondering what she should do with it.

"I can't do anything to Sarah," she told the Goblin, tossing the rock onto a pile. "It's not her time to pass on to the next world."  
"You are a slow learner..." the Goblin commented, crossing his thin arms as he headed back toward the others, leading her that way. "You don't need to pass her soul on...Just use your magic and drive her batty. Make her give the King his power back and -" He stopped suddenly and turned to face her. "You are Death's daughter, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Then you very well may not have to get rid of the Champion after all. All you need to do is beat the Labyrinth and the power that was Jareth's now Sarah's will be given to you." He smiled and clapped his hands. "The end of the reign of the false Champion will end and we'll be granted peace and normalcy again!"

Desdemona blinked in surprise. She had always thought the Goblins as idiots and many of them had nearly confirmed the fact for her. But this one was using reasoning and large words that Desdemona was sure an idiot would never use correctly. It was rather confusing but she had to remind herself that not everything was as it seemed.

"But-"

"When are you going to run the Labyrinth?" the Goblin demanded, looking up at her expectantly. "Today? Tomorrow? Three days from now? Boils Refill Day? When?"

Desdemona shrugged. "I don't know when I will do it."

"Do it soon!" the Goblin ordered. "I want to have the City back in its normal glory without the fear of having it destroyed again by Sarah's unexpected anger."

The daughter of Death looked at the Goblins working in the rubble. They all looked so tired and grumpy. She felt pity for them when she wondered how many many of them had lost their homes to Sarah's disbelief and anger. How they had suffered at the Champion's hands without the human girl knowing...it was too much.

"I'll try to convince myself to run the Labyrinth soon," Desdemona promised, crouching down to look the Goblin in the eyes. "But I'm not so sure that I want to tie myself down to Jareth's side so soon, I hardly know him. And I might not beat the Labyrinth at all. I might fail."

The Goblin shook his head. "All you have to do is try and you will beat it...And you do know Jareth more than you realize...You just need to realize it all."

Desdemona cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Come help dig us out. With your magic we could have this area unburied and ready to rebuild within a couple of hours."

Desdemona looked over the weary faces again and nodded as she stood up straight again. "It's the least I can do for now," she said. "Though it might take me a few tries to get the magic working right...I haven't used it in a long time. I might just suck at it."

"Sucking is better than not trying at all," the Goblin commented, heading back into the mess. "Just don't knock people in their heads. We're all crazy enough without your help."  
Desdemona frowned and dusted her hands off. She closed her eyes and envisioned her magic coming back to her. The magic coursed through her veins easier than the first time she had used it that day and for that she was glad. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"What do you want me to do with the rocks?" she asked. "Move them out of the way or get rid of them all together?"

The Goblins put their heads together for a moment, bickering about the options she had presented them with.

"Move them to the pile. The less magic you use to deal with the rocks, the more you have to help rebuild!" the Goblins declared.

More Goblins echoed the words, "Rebuild! Rebuild! Rebuild!"

Desdemona smiled and twitched her hands. "All right then. Move out of the way. I've got some rocks to move..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jareth grew tired of hiding out in the safety of his office with a mountain of paperwork that never seemed to get smaller. For one of the lesser kingdoms, the Goblin City produced many problems that needed to be dealt with almost daily before they grew out of hand. And one of them had been plaguing his people for years.

_I should see how the reconstruction has been doing_, Jareth thought, walking through the crowd of people.

Goblins left and right bowed before him and offered him the best of what they had to offer. They all seemed happier than they had in a long time which surprised the Goblin King. He could think of no reason for them to be happy with all the problems they had that sprouted from one major problem.

He seriously doubted that the Goblins had made much headway in their rebuilding of the outskirts of the city. They had barely managed to fix three fourths of the city in the six years that Sarah had been in control of half of his power. Had he had his original power, he would have been able to fix the problem with a flick of the wrist, but thanks to those six cruel little words, he had to slowly rebuild his power while thinking of ways to get back the power that had been stolen from him.

_Maybe the Goblins found a new mud spring, _Jareth thought with a smirk_. Someplace they can all get dirty and relax in when they're not busy rebuilding their homes...Or something more repulsive to enjoy..._

Laughter met his ears as did the sounds of hammers striking nails. The Goblins were laughing as they rebuilt their homes which was something they never did. They were always too tired to make such happy sounds and they had suffered too much to create the pleasant sounds in their small bodies.

_Well this is surprising_, Jareth thought, coming to stand on the outskirts of the construction zone.

He saw the Goblins dancing and playing games as they moved wood and stones into their proper positions around the skeletons of new houses. They were singing little tunes that made absolutely no sense as they hammered pieces of wood into place. And in the middle of it all stood the girl that would take Sarah's place in the Labyrinth one day.

Desdemona wiped sweat from her brow as she held a piece of wood too large for the Goblins to hold by themselves while some Goblins nailed it in place. She smiled and chatted with the Goblins like they were old friends. None of the Goblins showed her mistrust or the fear that children of Death made swell in the hearts of all creatures. They actually clambered closer to her and some children were actually grabbing onto her leggings like they would their mothers' skirts.

"Complete it!" one of the Goblins cried out.

Desdemona's eyes lit up and took on a focused look. She raised a hand slowly and flicked her wrist. Jareth's hair stirred in the wind created by the rush of power that flowed through the air from her hand. His eyes watched the walls of a house be created in an instant and a shingled roof capped it. The Goblins cheered loudly.

"Well, go look inside," Desdemona instructed the proud owners of the house. "Tell me if you like what I did because if you don't, I can always change it up a little."

The Goblins ran into the house while the others that were done with their duties for the day, marched away, laughing and singing praises to the daughter of Death. A crimson blush kissed the girl's cheeks and she crouched down to play with the children. They pulled her hair and put their dirty paws on her, but she didn't complain once or shoo them away. Instead she smiled and talked to them as if they were normal Fae children. She treated them like they were beautiful instead of the repulsive little scabs that they were.

She didn't seem to notice him until the mothers of the children called for them. The children didn't excuse themselves, choosing to act the part of Goblin and ran off to do what their mothers told them. Desdemona saw him then and straightened.

"Praise be to the daughter of Death," Jareth quoted one of the Goblins as he approached her. "Maker of houses, taker of souls..."

The crimson in her cheeks deepened. "I was only helping."

"I see and _why _were you helping the Goblins?" Jareth asked, circling her, amused by the fact that she was blushing. It was a very charming effect on her.

"Because I saw that they were suffering and I am not a cold-hearted person like some people think those of the Realm of Death are." Desdemona brushed the dust off her skirt. "I saw that I was needed and since I have no use for the magic in my body for the moment, I decided to help them."

"You were bored."

"You're bored now. Why else would you be here, bothering me with questions?" Desdemona shot back, crossing her arms.

Jareth smirked. Desdemona rolled her eyes and started walking past him. Jareth turned and followed her.

"Can't you just accept that a person will do whatever they can to help people in need?" Desdemona asked.

"Not when the person in need is a Goblin." Jareth's eyes narrowed. "No one wants to help the Goblins because the Goblins are stupid, filthy creatures that the Underground would be better without."  
"How can you say that? You're their King...True, you were made King of the Goblins begrudgingly by your father, but you have helped the Goblins thrive...How could you care so little as to say those things about your subjects?"  
"Do you not say that your subjects are evil, friendless beings that drain the life and happiness out of the world?" Jareth retorted. Desdemona's lips pressed themselves into a thin line and she was silenced. "Do not judge me about how I speak of my subjects if the same can be said about you, little girl."

The two walked in silence through the Goblin City. Goblins called out to them and whispered behind their hands as the two passed. Lingering verses of the praises of the daughter of Death's drifted through the air, but the crimson blush didn't return to the death dealer's cheeks.

"I may consider the people of my father's realm evil creatures, but I don't treat them like they repulse me. No one repulses me enough to treat them like filth – except Seth – and everyone has good qualities about them. They may be hard to spot, but if you look hard enough, you will see them." Desdemona reached up and pulled her hair back in a thick pony tail. "You can continue to think me weird, that I shouldn't care about people because of the way I live my life and where I come from. You can even look down on me because of my role in life, but you'll never understand me if you keep your walls up. I am not your enemy Jareth and I don't plan on ever becoming your enemy.

"Your people are looking to me to help you get your power back from Sarah. I will run the Labyrinth eventually to help them and to help you." A wan smile graced her lips. "You need to finish one chapter of your life completely before you can move onto the next and knowing that Sarah has half your power is holding you back. And I may be a modern girl, but I have faith in some of the old magic of the land, so I'm going to do what your subjects told me to do...You'll be better off afterward."

_How do you know that_? Jareth wanted to ask, but he was too macho for that.

Desdemona stopped suddenly and her eyes took on an unfocused look. Without a word, she brought her hands up to her lips and blew into them. Dozens of little black butterflies filled her hands in a single breath. They flew off when she opened her hands to the outside world and vanished into the sky.

Jareth caught her as she swayed and fell. He hadn't been wearing his gloves, having ruined them with ink and his fingers grazed her bare skin. A shock rushed through his body from the contact and he saw that Desdemona had felt it too. She looked up at him in confusion and Jareth set her back down on her feet.

As quickly as he could, he pulled hands back to his sides and the warmth that had been spreading through him vanished. Desdemona straightened and pushed a few strands of stray hair behind her ear.

"I suggest you get back to the castle and lay down," Jareth told her, avoiding eye contact. "With that many spirits coming to you, you're going to pass out and I won't be there to catch you."

"Jareth -"

"A servant will find you when dinner is served," Jareth continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Goodbye."

He knew she had opened her mouth to speak, but he had already transformed into a white barn owl and flew away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Desdemona watched Jareth fly away with a frown. Something had happened when he had touched her, but the feeling was slowly leaving her. It was like a shock that both warmed her and left her feeling tingly all over. She had no idea what that meant, seeing as she had never experienced something like that when she came in contact with someone. It was always with Jareth that something weird happened to her and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

But it scared her to think about what it could mean. Was this a sign that his death was approaching that she had first sensed decades ago? Was it a message from the Goddess that held some meaning that she would need to decipher and understand soon? Or was it simply an old form of magic she had no understanding of because she had chose not to study old magic in her pursuit of what was new?

_And why is it always around Jareth?_ Desdemona asked herself as she started walking to the castle._ What makes him so special?_

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Jareth let his breath out in a sigh as he transformed back into his normal form in the safety of the woods behind the castle. He felt like he couldn't get away from the girl fast enough. It wasn't right what was going through his head because of her or how he was felt every time he touched her by accident.

He turned his gaze up heavenward. "Why her? Why does it have to be the daughter of Death, my Goddess? Why do you torment me so?"

The Goddess didn't answer him and gave him no sign to show that she had heard him. Jareth sighed again and looked down at a crystal he had summoned without much thought. She was reflected in there, heading for her room like he had told her to.

"Why you?" he whispered, staring at her. "Why did the Goddess choose you?"

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**A/N: So...What do you think? Desdemona's confused and Jareth is having an odd moment. What's going on in your opinion? What's going to happen? (Well that's kind of obvious, but still I'd like to know what you think is going to happen.) Do you think Jareth is over reacting to the mysterious thing that only he knows about? **

**Please let me know what you think. That's all I ask. ~ Scarlet **


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'll warn you ahead of time that this chapter is extremely short and rather random. I had severe writer's block and you know how fun that can be...Anyway, I hope you read and enjoy.**

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Desdemona saw very little of Jareth the next week. He was very busy with the temporary rise in the number of children who got wished away by siblings. And when he wasn't busy, it was like he was avoiding her. She never found him in the castle and she even searched the Escher Room for him. The man didn't want to be found.

And it wasn't like she had time to hunt him down all the time. She had her own schedule that she had to go by. With Seth doing random things to annoy her, she was forcing herself to study the old magic books in Jareth's personal library just in case something really serious happened. And Soul Reaping was still taking a lot out of her when she sent out the black butterflies to the Aboveground. Part of her knew it would be easier on her if she actually went up there herself to perform the Death Touch on the humans, but she didn't feel like wasting her magic to transport herself there. The butterflies could pass on in the Aboveground without expending any energy, so she left it up to them to find the humans who were passing on and give Death's Kiss.

"Jareth," she called softly, walking around the sunken pit in the throne room. "Jareth...Where are you, love?" She hesitated. "I did not just say that..."

"You did," Jareth said, standing in the doorway.

Desdemona jumped and glared at him, a hand over her racing heart. "You really need to stop appearing like that...I'm Fae and even that doesn't eliminate the scaring factor!"

Jareth smirked. "What can I help you with?"

"You've been avoiding me," Desdemona muttered, crossing her arms. "I'd like to know why."

Jareth pulled on his gloves and approached her slowly. "You think I've been avoiding you...Well, the answer is quite simple. I have been avoiding you because you bother me."

"Bother you? I hardly speak to you! How could I bother you?"

Jareth gave her a look. "There are a million ways..."

Desdemona rolled her eyes. "I think I know why you're avoiding me...I've done some reading and-"  
"Books can't tell you everything."

"I think I understand now what that tingly shock was when you touched me," Desdemona continued like he hadn't interrupted. "And I know why you don't like it."

"Do you?" Jareth brushed her shoulder as he circled her. "And what have the books told you?"

"That what we might be experiencing is the soul mate factor," Desdemona said quietly.

Jareth smirked. "Exactly."  
Desdemona didn't like that he was circling her, but knew better than to move in his path. "I...I don't necessarily like the idea...I always thought my soul mate would be more of my age."

"Then be glad that I don't like you because I refuse to believe that soul mates have to fall in love with each other and get married." He looked away from her. "I'd rather be single and die alone than have someone like you."

"Prejudiced bastard." She scowled at the look he sent her direction. "You're only saying that because the daughters of Death tend to have a bad rep for being black widows. I'm here to tell you that I don't go out of my way to shag a man and then kill him for his money. I'm interested in love and frankly, I'm getting old. My youth is fading and I need to find someone to settle down with."

"Look somewhere else then."

"You'll refuse the Goddess' wishes?"

"It wouldn't be that difficult. I've done it before."

"Ah yes...and you caused your kingdom a three month drought and famine." Desdemona cocked her head to one side. "Is that really what you want to put your people through again? Because in my opinion, it's not worth it." She shook her head. "I'm not in love with you, but at least I'm open minded."

Jareth grabbed her suddenly and pulled her close. Desdemona gasped and made sure that her skin was harmless. Jareth's hands tightened on her arms and he pressed his body as close as he could to hers. The warmth came back when the shock passed and Desdemona almost welcomed it. But there was a burning hunger in Jareth's eyes that she was not used to and it scared her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jareth looked down at the daughter of Death, held so tightly against his body. The warmth that came with her touch spread through his body, awakening a desire that had been suppressed each time he had touched her before. He remembered sneaking into her room at night, after she had spent hours practicing magic and exhausted herself, just to look at her. He had touched her lightly, so he didn't wake her, and the warmth had come back with each touch.

His body called for her. It wanted him to take her and make her his, so that no one would touch her. It was his Goddess' will, but it was not his will. Every part of her was not like every part of Sarah's and he wanted Sarah, even after all that she had done. But this girl...

"You repulse me," Jareth hissed in her ear, running a hand over her back, fingers splayed. "And yet you make me want you a little more each time I see you...Every time I touch you, you burn me but I keep coming back for more. Why is that sweet Desdemona?"

Desdemona's eyes were wide and in them he saw fear mixed with confusion. There was little desire in her eyes as she gazed upon him, but Jareth expected that. She was young and hadn't loved before. She had seen little that she could love without the edge of evil pressing in on her, but now, as she gazed upon him, desire was creeping in.

With a hand, she created some distance between their bodies and looked up at him with the fear draining away. "Jareth...please."

"You have seen that I am capable of great love that is never returned," Jareth whispered, ignoring her as he closed the distance between them once more. "And yet, you expect some great miracle to take hold and change me into something that will love you in an instant. I am not your dog."

"I never said that you were," Desdemona hissed, her hand pressed against the naked flesh of his chest. "I know what you are."

"And what is that?"

"You are scared. Scared because you've lived the past decade believing that you were in love with someone, only to have a sign by our Goddess that you were meant to love someone else. You're scared of rejection because that's all that the women you have pursued have given you." She frowned. "You're scared to love again."

Jareth glared down at her, but his glare softened when she reached up and put a hand against his cheek. The contact sent a shock through him and the warmth grew. She was so gentle, the fear draining from her eyes the longer she held his gaze.

"Jareth, not all the women in the world are going to hurt you if you offer your heart to them. We're not all like Sarah or Mizumi," Desdemona told him quietly. "Most of us have hearts waiting to give all the love that we have, but you have to be able to see through your hurt to find us...And if you think it's too hard to do, think of the women who have been hurt by the people that they thought loved them...They have found people to love because they had the strength to move on. To love."

She jumped up onto her toes and pressed her lips against his forehead. Jareth closed his eyes briefly. A small smile graced her lips when he opened them.

"I'll be here to talk once you're ready," Desdemona promised, backing away from him. "I may be young, but I do know some things about love..."

Jareth watched her walk away, taking the warmth with her. No one had been like that to him. No one had offered him warmth, when he played the scary man. His furious desire should have shut her down like it had done to the others that he had pursued in the past, but it was like Desdemona had seen through that after awhile and had seen the possibility of a slow passion that lay beneath. Jareth would have given anything in the world if Sarah had been able to see that like the daughter of Death had.

"Desdemona," he said when she was at the door.

Desdemona turned and faced him. "Yes?"

"This...You have given me much to think about," Jareth said, hooking his hands together behind his back. "But do not think for a minute that I enjoy the thought of having a soul mate."

The smile on her lips grew. "I know."

Just as the girl turned to leave once more, Jareth caught sight of the Dwarf running away like he couldn't get out of there fast enough.

_How much did he hear? _Jareth wondered before sitting upon his throne.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah powdered her nose as she looked in the mirror, making sure she looked perfect before she left to go to the studio. She let out a small sigh of irritation when Hoggle's face appeared where hers had been.

"Hoggle, what are you doing here?" she asked, putting away her make up.

"Sarah, I've got something to tell ya," Hoggle told her.

"What? Is Jareth trying to convince me to marry him again?" She laughed. "I'm not going to marry him, so you can just tell him no."

"Sarah, Jareth's found his soul mate," Hoggle whispered. "Whatever that is."

Sarah stared at him in surprise. "What? I thought – I thought...Does that that mean that he doesn't want me anymore?"

"I believe so. He's much too busy with her to think much about you."  
Sarah's brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed. "Who is the unlucky girl?"

"The eldest daughter of Death," Hoggle informed his best friend, conjuring up a picture of Desdemona.

Sarah was horrified. "Jareth is in love with that Gothic chick? Where did his taste in women go? I thought he liked people who were _normal _or _special_, not some kind of freak!"

Hoggle winced at the shrillness of his friend's voice. "Now Sarah, don't get too hasty...he didn't say that he loves her."

"What else is a soul mate supposed to do? He loves her and that's a fact." Sarah slumped in her seat, defeated. "And that means he doesn't love me anymore..."

Hoggle put a hand over Sarah's. "Ain't that what you wanted Sarah?"  
"I did, but..." She sighed. "I guess I just always expected Jareth to pop up and bug me every now and then..."

"Sarah..."

"You should go Hoggle. I've got to meet with my producer in a few minutes." Sarah sighed again and looked back at the mirror as Hoggle returned to it. "Thank you for telling me what's happened in the Underground."

"Any time Sarah."

Hoggle vanished and Sarah turned her back on the mirror. She gasped when she found herself face to face with a dark haired man with pale skin.

"Hello Sarah," he said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Desdemona ran her finger over a map of the Labyrinth, tracing one path that changed almost in an instant. She knew that the Labyrinth changed its paths every day and could be one way one moment, and different the next. It did that to challenge everyone who entered it, but somehow the creatures of the Goblin City knew exactly where they were going when they entered the Labyrinth.

_I'll never be that lucky_, Desdemona thought, watching the map change as the Labyrinth outside changed. _Jareth's magic makes it easy for him to know where to go, but I doubt foreign magic holds any power over the Labyrinth..._

_But if Iago's nose can lead him across the expanse of the Underground and back to the Realm of Death, then maybe he can help me track my way through the Labyrinth...Or is that cheating?_

_Sarah had help through the Labyrinth...The worm, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus...and that didn't count as cheating. The Labyrinth accepted her as Champion when it won't accept others. Something about her..._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a black owl flying into the library. It landed next to her and bowed his head.

"Errol, what are you doing here?" she asked, stroking his head with one finger.

The owl hooted and lifted a foot, showing the letter that was attached to his leg. Iago lifted his head at the sound and let out a soft growl. Desdemona shot him a look of warning as she carefully untied the letter. The owl jumped back and opened its wings at the skele-dog, clicking its beak at him.

"You two really need to learn how to get along..." Desdemona muttered, ripping open the letter.

The letter was from Thea. It said that there would be many bad things happening in the next few months if Desdemona didn't run the Labyrinth soon. It wished her luck in a relationship with Jareth that only she could see in the future. And it mentioned how their father was growing impatient at not hearing news of her success at beating the Labyrinth and becoming Queen of the Goblins. There was a hint that he might show up to demand what was taking so long.

"Oh Thea," Desdemona whispered, setting the letter down. "You'll tire yourself if you keep up this psychic readings...And I know very well that Baltor grew impatient when he didn't hear of my victory on the first day of me being here...As for me and a certain Goblin King..." Her eyes landed on a small mirror where a dark eye watched her. "I highly doubt that Seth would allow that to go on for very long..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: Does anyone know what happened? If you do, good job. I'll try to get another chapter up as soon as this writer's block goes away. Until then, tell me where I screwed up and all that jazz.**


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